Realms of Dread Chapter Two
- Ken of Ghastria
- Champion of the Maiden

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Blaise says, "Certainly, m'dear! Let's be off." He gives directions to the boatman, and he takes advantage of his temporarily enhanced vision to help guide the boat past any obstacles in the darkness.
"There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are."
--W. Somerset Maugham
--W. Somerset Maugham
- BigBadQDaddy
- Champion of the Maiden

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A puzzled expression comes over Alain face. "Did you say nightsoil men? I am not familiar with the term. What line of work is a nightsoil man involved in exactly?" Alain pauses for a moment, "Do you mean gravediggers?"ewancummins wrote: ''It's true what you say- that two are safer than one- but I'm not sure who I'd go along with at night. Most of the decent folks I know are sleeping by the time I'm on my way back from the marshes. There are the nightsoil men....but the smell is really bad.''
He lets the comment from earlier wash over his thoughts from a moment ago. The young girl had lost a friend to the mists. He would have to question her about that, but wasn't quite sure that he should given her somber reaction.
- ewancummins
- Evil Genius

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Alain and Mara-
Mara giggles.
''Gravediggers? No, silly, nightsoil is what you leave in chamberpots. The nightsoil men take it away from people's homes in their carts. ''
Mara giggles.
''Gravediggers? No, silly, nightsoil is what you leave in chamberpots. The nightsoil men take it away from people's homes in their carts. ''
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
- ewancummins
- Evil Genius

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the boat-
The fishermen steers his boat [with some help from Blaise, who seems to have no trouble seeing well enough at night] out into the bay and tacks sail to carry the little vessel towards Fishgut Rock.
The man perks up at the mention of the party's destination. A look of concern crosses his face and he lets his gaze linger on Shana for a moment.
''Got business on the Rock this late, eh? Well, watch your step on those narrow walkways. It's been drizzly tonight, and a body could slip and fall. Folks who live up on the Rock haven't seen fit to place anything sturdier for the ease of their visitors....I expect most of them don't much like visitors. They're a queer lot. ''
The fishermen steers his boat [with some help from Blaise, who seems to have no trouble seeing well enough at night] out into the bay and tacks sail to carry the little vessel towards Fishgut Rock.
The man perks up at the mention of the party's destination. A look of concern crosses his face and he lets his gaze linger on Shana for a moment.
''Got business on the Rock this late, eh? Well, watch your step on those narrow walkways. It's been drizzly tonight, and a body could slip and fall. Folks who live up on the Rock haven't seen fit to place anything sturdier for the ease of their visitors....I expect most of them don't much like visitors. They're a queer lot. ''
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
Inovidil passes first from the opening. Concentrating on the noise she says:ewancummins wrote:
the passages beneath Blackpillars-
With help from her friends, Ino has bent the iron girll of the portcullis. There is now an opening wide enough for you to pass, if you go one at a time.
Someplace beyond the locked door at the other end of the hall, someone or something is screaming again. It's possible that the noise never stopped, but was simply drowned out by the racket of your recent fight.
"Lets move. Archedius can you please check the door for traps? Or if you prefer I can open it from distance as I did before."
- The first 2 Feats a wizard should take are "point blank shot" and "Precise shot"!
- W H A T ! ? !
- Or they should NEVER memorize rays!
- W H A T ! ? !
- Or they should NEVER memorize rays!
- Ken of Ghastria
- Champion of the Maiden

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- Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2003 10:17 am
- Location: In the marshes of New Jersey
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"Probably not, but it's a surprise party! Shhh," says Blaise, who hops off the boat and helps the others find their footing in the darkness. "Wait for us, please -- I promise we'll make it worth your time."ewancummins wrote: ''Got business on the Rock this late, eh? Well, watch your step on those narrow walkways. It's been drizzly tonight, and a body could slip and fall. Folks who live up on the Rock haven't seen fit to place anything sturdier for the ease of their visitors....I expect most of them don't much like visitors. They're a queer lot. ''
"There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are."
--W. Somerset Maugham
--W. Somerset Maugham
- Lord Skybolt
- Evil Genius

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- BigBadQDaddy
- Champion of the Maiden

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"Oh, nightsoil men. I understand." He allows himself a smile at the girls crude childish sense of humor before letting go a brief bark of laughter.ewancummins wrote:Alain and Mara-
Mara giggles.
''Gravediggers? No, silly, nightsoil is what you leave in chamberpots. The nightsoil men take it away from people's homes in their carts. ''
He allows the eerie silence of the city in the twilight hours to have it's piece for a moment or two before continuing. "Mara, perhaps partnering with one of these nightsoil men may not be a bad idea. Do you know any of them well enough to travel around with them in the evening?"
- ewancummins
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Fishgut Rock, the Eastern side
The fishing boat has reached the rocky shore of the eastern end of the island, where the cliffs are much lower the the western promontory [where Blackpillars is located].
Your pilot guides the boat, oh so carefully, near the edge of a natural rock walkway that extends twenty feet or so out into the bay. He belays the boat by expertly looping a line around one of the stones.
''This is the stop, then. Mind your step, those rocks are slippery. If you look up there-''
Here, he points towards a low escarpment about thirty feet inland,
''-you'll see a walkway cut into the bluff. That's the safest way up onto the Rock. From there, well, you'll see. Just mind yourself in town. Not all the locals will be asleep at this hour.''
The rough old fisherman smiles wistfully at Shana as she debarks.
''Mind yourself now, lassie. This aint no safe place.''
Once all passengers have gotten off the boat, the fisherman says-
''You folks mentioned needing a ride back. That I can do. You just flash a lantern three times from that bluff there-''
again, he indicates the low escarpment-
''and I'll be ready to get you back to the other side of the bay. I can hold till dawn, but after that...you'll be on your own. Fair enough?''
The fishing boat has reached the rocky shore of the eastern end of the island, where the cliffs are much lower the the western promontory [where Blackpillars is located].
Your pilot guides the boat, oh so carefully, near the edge of a natural rock walkway that extends twenty feet or so out into the bay. He belays the boat by expertly looping a line around one of the stones.
''This is the stop, then. Mind your step, those rocks are slippery. If you look up there-''
Here, he points towards a low escarpment about thirty feet inland,
''-you'll see a walkway cut into the bluff. That's the safest way up onto the Rock. From there, well, you'll see. Just mind yourself in town. Not all the locals will be asleep at this hour.''
The rough old fisherman smiles wistfully at Shana as she debarks.
''Mind yourself now, lassie. This aint no safe place.''
Once all passengers have gotten off the boat, the fisherman says-
''You folks mentioned needing a ride back. That I can do. You just flash a lantern three times from that bluff there-''
again, he indicates the low escarpment-
''and I'll be ready to get you back to the other side of the bay. I can hold till dawn, but after that...you'll be on your own. Fair enough?''
Last edited by ewancummins on Thu Jul 09, 2009 2:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
- ewancummins
- Evil Genius

- Posts: 28523
- Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:35 pm
''Oh, I suppose so. Or...maybe you could walk with me some nights? ''BigBadQDaddy wrote:ewancummins wrote:Alain and Mara-
He allows the eerie silence of the city in the twilight hours to have it's piece for a moment or two before continuing. "Mara, perhaps partnering with one of these nightsoil men may not be a bad idea. Do you know any of them well enough to travel around with them in the evening?"
Mara smiles innocently up at Alain.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
- ewancummins
- Evil Genius

- Posts: 28523
- Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:35 pm
beneath Blackpillars-
The door swings open with only a faint squeak of it hinges. Beyond it , a narrow staircase ascends upwards and out of sight. The area is unilluminated, but for the light from Archedius' torch. The eerie screaming or moaning is louder now, and seems to be coming from someplace up the stairs.A smell of mothballs drifts out from the open door- like an old, neglected wardrobe has just been opened.
The door swings open with only a faint squeak of it hinges. Beyond it , a narrow staircase ascends upwards and out of sight. The area is unilluminated, but for the light from Archedius' torch. The eerie screaming or moaning is louder now, and seems to be coming from someplace up the stairs.A smell of mothballs drifts out from the open door- like an old, neglected wardrobe has just been opened.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
